Mereb Podcast
Hosted by Mereb Podcast
Long-form interviews with the founders and leaders building Ethiopia's tech and business landscape.
This is a conversational, deep-dive podcast focused on the human stories behind Ethiopian entrepreneurship. The hosts guide guests from their personal backgrounds and motivations through the practical challenges of building a company—from funding to market entry—in the specific context of Ethiopia's emerging economy. The show serves as a playbook and inspiration source for the local startup community.
“Unlike generic business podcasts, Mereb is hyper-focused on the Ethiopian ecosystem, tackling specific local challenges like navigating a unique investment culture, dealing with lawsuits and intense competition, and bridging the gap between academic theory and industry practice.”
Who hosts this show
Hosted by Nebyu Zekariyas and Yared Taddesse, the co-founders of software engineering firm Mereb Technologies, this podcast features in-depth conversations with Ethiopian entrepreneurs, academics, and innovators. The show explores the origin stories, challenges, and strategies behind building businesses in Ethiopia and for the diaspora. It is an extension of their company's mission, which focuses on connecting senior Ethiopian engineering talent with global product companies.
Credentials & credits
- Co-Founder, Mereb Technologies
- Software Engineer
Other ventures
- Mereb Technologies
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05ስለ ህይወታችን ብዙ ስናስብ ምንድን ነው የሚፈጠረው ? | Yabebal Fantaye, Co-Founder of 10 Academy EP 32Jul 11, 2025 · 2h 12m
- 0690% ከ ሆላንድ ጋር በባህል እንመሳሰላለን | Rahel Boon Dejene, Founder & CEO of R&D GroupJul 7, 2025 · 5 min
- 07በሃገሬ ባዳ ሆኜ ነበር | Rahel Boon Dejene, Founder & CEO of R&D Group EP 31Jul 4, 2025 · 1h 25m
- 08እንግዶቻችን ምን ተሰማቸው ? | "Why Outsouring" Panel DiscussionJul 1, 2025 · 14 min
Notable episodes
- 01Starting a Business with No Income is TOUGH! | Habtamu Tadese (ZayRide, AfriPay, LakiPay) EP 34
Features a candid discussion about the 'toxic' nature of local business competition, including lawsuits, and the deeply personal origin story of the company name 'ZayRide'.
- 02የመጀመሪያው ዲጂታል የሥራ አገናኝ... | Yusuf Reja Founder & CEO of Africa Jobs Network EP 35
Challenges the common stereotype that diaspora founders return with cash, as the guest reveals he returned with student debt, and shares the memorable insight that recruiters spend only 7 seconds on a CV.
- 03AIን ብንጠቀም ብዙ እናቶችን ማዳን እንችል ነበር' I Dr. Adane L. Mamuye — General Manager of HABTech Solutions.EP 36
Provides a clear breakdown of the gap between theoretical academic knowledge and practical industry needs in Ethiopia's tech sector, using digital health as a case study.
What you'll be asked on this show
The hosts, Nebyu Zekariyas and Yared Taddesse, use a patient, narrative-building approach. They often open with a big-picture philosophical question (e.g., "Do you consider yourself a winner?") or a simple "introduce yourself" before digging into the guest's origin story. They probe specific details mentioned by the guest (e.g., "Why five founders?") and are not afraid to ask direct questions about sensitive topics like returning to Ethiopia without money or facing lawsuits. The conversation typically flows from personal history to the company's founding, its challenges, and finally to broader industry trends and advice for aspiring founders.
A two-host, conversational interview format. The hosts, Nebyu Zekariyas and Yared Taddesse, are relaxed and well-researched, allowing guests ample time for detailed, uninterrupted answers. Interviews follow a consistent narrative arc from personal history to business specifics and broader industry commentary.
Questions Mereb Podcast keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Mereb Podcast reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“To start, could you introduce yourself and what you're currently working on?”
This is a common opening to allow the guest to frame their own identity and current focus.
backstory
1- Q.01
“For our listeners, can you share your background and origin story?”
Used to guide the conversation toward the guest's early life, education, and formative experiences.
mindset
1- Q.01
“Do you consider yourself a 'winner,' and how do you define that success?”
A philosophical opening question used to understand a guest's core mindset before diving into their story.
personal
1- Q.01
“What made you decide to return to Ethiopia to start your business?”
A key question for guests from the diaspora to uncover their core motivation.
process
2- Q.01
“What were the biggest initial challenges you faced when starting out?”
This question moves the narrative from the idea to the reality of execution and struggle.
- Q.02
“How did you come to manage both a professional career and a separate business?”
Asked of guests with dual roles (e.g., academic and CEO) to explore work-life balance.
craft
2- Q.01
“What was the process of developing your business model and generating revenue?”
Focuses on the practical steps taken to create a sustainable business in the early days.
- Q.02
“Can you walk us through your company's core services and solutions?”
A direct request for a clear explanation of the guest's business for the audience.
money
2- Q.01
“How do local investors in Ethiopia typically value tech startups?”
This question seeks specific, actionable insights into the local funding environment.
- Q.02
“Did you return to Ethiopia with significant capital, or did you start from scratch?”
A direct question that challenges common assumptions about diaspora entrepreneurs.
advice
1- Q.01
“How can a new entrepreneur find local investors in Ethiopia?”
A follow-up question that directly asks for practical advice for the audience.
industry
1- Q.01
“What's the gap between academia and private industry in Ethiopia?”
This question is used to elicit commentary on systemic issues within the country's tech ecosystem.
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Primarily founders, CEOs, and high-level leaders of Ethiopian tech companies and social enterprises (e.g., ZayRide, Ethiojobs, Habtech Solutions), often with experience both in Ethiopia and abroad.
- Dr. Adane L. Mamuyeon AIን ብንጠቀም ብዙ እናቶችን ማዳን እንችል ነበር' I Dr. Adane L. Mamuye — General Manager of HABTech Solutions.EP 36
- Yusuf Rejaon የመጀመሪያው ዲጂታል የሥራ አገናኝ እና ለሚሊዮኖች ሥራ ዕድል የፈ ጠረ | Yusuf Reja Founder & CEO of Africa Jobs Network EP 35
- Habtamu Tadeseon Starting a Business with No Income is TOUGH! | Habtamu Tadese (ZayRide, AfriPay, LakiPay) EP 34
- Leul Tessemaon Poland ውስጥ የዴሊቨሪ ስራ፣ ሃገር ቤት የካምፓኒ መስራች | Leul Tessema - Cofounder of Kabba Transport EP 33
- Yabebal Fantayeon ስለ ህይወታችን ብዙ ስናስብ ምንድን ነው የሚፈጠረው ? | Yabebal Fantaye, Co-Founder of 10 Academy EP 32
- Rahel Boon Dejeneon በሃገሬ ባዳ ሆኜ ነበር | Rahel Boon Dejene, Founder & CEO of R&D Group EP 31
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is explicitly 'Powered by Mereb Technologies', the hosts' own software development company, suggesting it is a content marketing initiative to build community and brand authority in the Ethiopian tech scene. No third-party sponsors were mentioned in the analyzed episodes.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Mereb Podcast
People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Mereb Podcast?
- The podcast is hosted by Nebyu Zekariyas and Yared Taddesse, the co-founders of Mereb Technologies, a software engineering firm based in Addis Ababa.
- What is the format of the show?
- It is a long-form, conversational interview show with two hosts and one guest per episode, focusing on Ethiopian entrepreneurs and business leaders.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, based on the provided data, new episodes were released as recently as August 2025.
- Where can I listen to Mereb Podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube.
- What kind of topics are discussed?
- Topics include entrepreneurship, tech startups, investment, digital finance, AI, and career development, all within the specific context of Ethiopia.
- What is Mereb Technologies?
- Mereb Technologies is a software development and engineering company founded by the podcast hosts, which connects senior Ethiopian engineers with product companies, primarily in Europe.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
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